FleshEating Unicorns
by Fantasizing-Lady-Knight
Summary: After Kel kills Blayce, a girl fails her page training, making people start to doubt that women can fight again. What will change their minds? What happens when you throw flesh-eating unicorns in the mix? (rating for violence and romance--KelDom)
1. Isn't Life Grand?

Hello everyone! I'm Fanta (Fantasizing-Lady-Knight) but Fanta is easier to say, so yeah. This is my very first fic! huzzah, huzzah So, in other words, it will most likely really really suck! But that's okay because it will be my very first story and I'll be proud of it because it will help me develop my own style...or so my mom tells me...I haven't really believed her yet...  
  
Disclaimer: Let's see...I have some questions to answer: 1# Do I own these characters? Hmmm...Let me think about this for a second...why Ye—no. 2# Do I own these settings? Do I own these settings??? Why what kind of stupid question is that!? Why of course—not. #3 Am I Tamora Pierce? Thinks deeply Why don't you just ask yourself one little question—Are you likely to find Tamora Pierce herself on ? Do I look like Tammy to you??? Actually, you wouldn't know, would you? Hehe... #4 Do I own this plot? Why in the world would I own this stupid, Gods-forsaken, Hell-born plot worthy only of a flea???? Oh yeah...that's the only part I do own....  
  
Okay, on with the show!  
  
Flesh-Eating Unicorns by Fantasizing-Lady-Knight  
  
(  
  
Chapter 1—Isn't Life Grand?  
  
Keladry of Mindelan, first distaff knight for centuries in the realm of Tortall, gazed dreamily out of her frost-covered window. Below her window she could faintly see dark, swaying blobs where trees were supposed to be in the endlessly shifting sheets of snow falling from the clouds. At least, the snow seemed endless. This particular snow storm had been going on for the past few days, and now the snow drifts were in some places three feet deep.  
  
The young woman's dreamy hazel eyes continued to search the white-enveloped landscape, as if searching for freedom—everyone had been kept in-doors for the past twenty-four hours. Remembering this, she sighed heavily. Her breath clouded on the window, and she turned away from the glass in disgust. Now she could understand why Alanna the Lioness, Keladry's life- long role-model, hated the cold. Lucky her, she thought. The Lioness had been able to escape this storm a month before, journeying to the Bazhir Desert to visit her tribe.  
  
Keladry, also known as Kel, shuffled across the room to her practice glaive on the wall, knowing only one thing could kill this nasty temper and regain her Yamani calm. She removed the staff and blade from her weapon rack and slowly got into her practice-dance position.  
  
To burn off her impatience, she began the cuts and stabs of the most complicated dance she knew.  
  
As she regained her Yamani calm, she began to remember the activities of the past few weeks. Two months before a third girl had showed up for page training. Both Kel and the Lioness had jumped for joy. But three weeks after the girl had started, the two lady knights had their delight drenched. The girl had gone home because the work was too hard. So much for three successes in a row, Kel thought gloomily.  
  
With a final swing of her glaive, Kel ended her pattern-dance and froze in position for five seconds like she was supposed to. Kel carefully set her practice glaive back on its rack and threw herself down onto her bed with a moan.  
  
Ever since the third girl's failure, people had been doubting the fighting skills of women again. People had even gone so far as to say that neither Kel nor Alanna had really done the wonderful deeds that they had claimed to do (finding the Dominion Jewel, Destroying Blayce and Stenmun), and had instead just hid in a corner while the men they took with them did the tasks.  
  
Although she liked being a girl, Kel just had to wonder sometimes whether there was really a true point to being female besides being little and delicate like people seemed to expect.  
  
(  
  
Kel's first thought when she awoke on her bed still in her practice clothes after practicing with her glaive was that she must have dozed off. Her second was why someone was pounding on her door with enough strength to break it from its hinges at around three o'clock in the morning. Her third was complete joy because, looking outside her window, she saw that the snowing had stopped.  
  
Kel heaved herself off of her bed and raced across the room. The knocking was still going, so she flung open the door before the it snapped in two. In the hall in front of her room stood a slightly disheveled Nealan of Queenscove. Also known as Neal, he had been her best friend for nine years.  
  
"Kel, we have to hurry and leave!" he panted as if he had been running.  
  
"Neal, calm down," she ordered softly. As his heaving breath subsided, she asked quietly, "So why do we have to leave?"  
  
"The King ordered us to go out with third company of the Own. A herd of thirty Flesh-Eating Unicorns attacked GreenRidge. We have to go and stop them before they kill everyone in the town!"  
  
Kel gazed at the ceiling and mouthed 'why me?' Neal watched her expectantly with his bright green eyes, waiting for a response. Kel sighed for the third time that evening before answering, "Fine. I'll prepare. Thanks Neal. When do we leave?"  
  
"In an hour."  
  
(  
  
Third Company, along with the knights Raoul, Neal, Kel, Merric, Owen, Esmond, and Seaver (Kel's group had been sent due to the fact that they had experience with some of third company due to the fact that they had helped get rid of Blayce) set off an hour later.  
  
Mist spiraled up from everyone's mouths as they breathed, and the air was frigid. Although Kel was glad that she would be on this exploit with Domitan of Masbolle, or Dom, Neal's cousin, she still wasn't as happy as she could have been. Just because she had had a major crush on Dom for five years didn't mean she was any happier about such a mission.  
  
Kel, mounted on her grumpy warhorse, Peachblossom, shivered and huddled deeper into her cloak.  
  
I have to venture miles in freezing weather to find a whole herd of flesh- eating unicorns who are killing a whole town as we speak in three-foot snow drifts. My best friend will wail the whole way because he is leaving his betrothed, I am seated on a horse who despises snow, and people are starting to doubt women can fight again, she thought miserably, Isn't life Grand?  
  
A/N: Okay that was my first chapter! How do you like it? flinches Please review! insert groveling here I'll post the next chapter when I've gotten five reviews!  
  
Fanta 


	2. Magic

Okay! A HUGE thanks to all who reviewed. I've gotten five, and here is the second chapter! All those who commented:  
  
Teepers: Thank you! I still don't know if this story is good enough for a flea to read, but I'll take your word on it...  
  
Keladry of Masbolle: Thanks a whole bunch. I'm glad you think my first effort is worth it. I'm really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, sorry, but I don't really want to make this a Kel/Neal fic. I understand that you want that, but I don't think I'll do it that way...I'm sorry.  
  
Local Tree Sprite: Thanks, and here it is! Hope it meets your expectations!  
  
queen-of-sapphires: Thank you! I LOVE the constructive criticism! Please continue to give it to me because I wish to make my first fic as good as possible! Ummm...here are my comments to yours, in order:  
  
Okay...I'll try to redo my summery if you think it's important. 2. you explain that a little more? I am willing to take your advise, but in this case I don't really understand it... 3. If you're saying what I think you're saying (still not crystal clear...sorry!), than it's not that there are any disadvantages to them being locked in-doors besides the fact that it makes Kel restless, and the result is three-foot snow-drifts that are hard to work in...I don't /think/ food is really an issue... 4. Okay. I'll try to make Kel complain less, but you have to understand that no one is in the perfect mood after being trapped in-doors for a long time in the cold...  
  
Erkith: Yeah...everyone always forgets the poor flesh-eating unicorns... I do hope this makes them a little less forgotten, but the unicorns /do/ have something special to do with the plot...(my only hint) dun dun dunnnn...  
  
Disclaimer: Do you /really/ think that after going through /all/ that trouble to post this stupid piece of writing on a fanfiction website, I would all of a sudden claim to be Tamora Pierce??? Well, no duh I'm Tamora Pierce! What is your problem??? are you /crazy/??? ::sheepish grin:: Okay, fine, so I'm not Tammy...she's a genius, and I'm just...me....::hides in terror:: I don't own anything!!!  
  
Thank you every one, again! On with chapter number two!  
  
Chapter Two: Magic  
  
The cold continued for the next five hours, not letting up for a minute. Whenever a person would dismount their horse for any reason, their cloaks would crack, for they had frozen rigid due to perspiration. All travel rations had frozen solid. To eat a piece of bread, one would have to breath hot air on it and roll it in his hands for a while, or else it would crack his teeth.  
  
Kel had known before-hand that the conditions would be like this, so she hadn't allowed the sparrows or Jump to come. Just as well, she thought glumly, if the sparrows would have come, they'd have all just been flying ice cubes by now.  
  
No one was surprised that Neal had been reciting love-poems for his betrothed, Yukimi, for the past two hours. Although none of the men or Kel would never admit it, everyone was glad that Neal had horrible skills at writing poetry—if you laughed hard enough to make your gut ache, the cold seemed reduced. Every time a roar of amusement answered Neal's attempted- love-poems, he would simply turn up his nose and sniff disdainfully, then ride ahead.  
  
Twice the entire company had to stop due to icy roads.  
  
For most of the time Kel rode besides Dom, Sir Merric, and Sir Owen (with the paint still wet on his shield). They discussed everything from immortals to hot drinks, but despite their cheery chatter, the tension hanging above all of them in a blanket would not go away.  
  
The company topped a hill and found themselves looking down at GreenRidge. Below them was a large town, shrouded in fog. The smell of damp wood burning and fresh blood wafted into the nostrils of all gaping at the grotesque scene:  
  
Most of the buildings were smoldering. Bodies of fallen animals and humans littered the earth and numerous glints of broken weapons shone from all directions.  
  
Raoul, at the head of the mass, hand-signaled everyone to approach the once- populated area at a cautious walk. Kel could see many men whispering nervously to each other, glancing around with fear in their eyes. Raoul signaled the force to stop about twenty yards in front of the building nearest to the hill from which they had come.  
  
Kel glanced around warily, careful of the slightest movement. Beside her Owen expressed his wonder about why there were buildings on fire. Neal, who had joined them a short time earlier, replied quietly, "Unicorn magic. They have it, like most immortals. Obviously they can light fires with it, at least."  
  
Many of the men within earshot of this reply looked even more nervous. It was bad enough that they had to face a herd of thirty of these creatures without them having magic!  
  
Raoul gestured for them to move forward at a easy trot. As the company complied, the eerie echo of hoof-falls added to the ghastly picture made things worse. Those who had been calm before started to show a slight bit of jumpiness. Those who were edgy before started to show signs of panic.  
  
The group turned a corned and came before a gruesome sight. Twenty or so unicorns were feasting on what appeared to be two mauled horses and a mangled cow. With dead humans strewn randomly about the group of immortals, it looked like a scene from nightmares.  
  
The Unicorns glanced up at the men (and woman). Blood dribbled down the chins of a few, and blood-red eyes glared hate at all watching. Several men looked ready to break ranks and flee as the ghostly silence continued and the stares of the immortals bored holes into the humans. But then Raoul frantically motioned for them to all form a semicircle about the flesh- eating unicorns, three men deep.  
  
The men obeyed. Kel gulped as she found herself in the very middle, in the front of the unicorn's opposing force. The sound of scraping metal echoed around the clearing as men drew their swords as one. Kel readied her glaive, and twenty men in the back row strung bows and readied arrows.  
  
Raoul raised his sword and let out a yell. Around him his men copied him, raising weapons and shouting battle cries. The commander raised a giant gauntleted hand and commanded, "Archers! Ready!"  
  
All of the archers placed arrows on bowstrings and drew the cords back to their ears together. Raoul was about to order them to fire when everything stopped.  
  
It wasn't your every-day stop, when people put down their weapons and just didn't do something—this stop was complete. Frozen. Nothing moved, and the drone of magic was in the air.  
  
Men who had been shouting had their mouths open, some tongues were in the middle of pronouncing war-cries. Arms were raised, holding useless weapons. The archers all had their bows drawn back to their ears, aimed at targets. A few horses were in the process of stamping restlessly, and a one horse was even still in mid-rear.  
  
The most unnatural thing of all was that, although every man was frozen solid, their bodies not able to perform a single task, all of their eyes were free. All of the men were able to move their eyes freely. As one, the men's eyes all followed the unicorns' movements.  
  
What appeared to be the leader of the immortals approached the semicircle, and behind it the other unicorns followed. They all moved as if from a dream...or nightmare.  
  
Then Kel realized an odd thing—she /could/ move. She glanced at all of her companions in alarm as she lowered her glaive. Although Dom, Neal, and Merric, stationed by her were frozen completely in place, she was not. Her friends' eyes swiveled to her. They apparently thought this was strange, also, for their eyes reflected wonder.  
  
Kel jumped off of Peachblossom—who was also frozen in place—and turned to face the advancing immortals. She stumbled and raised her glaive.  
  
Although about one-hundred-five men were frozen, the unicorns ignored them completely...  
  
Instead they walked toward Kel.  
  
Dun dun dunnnn.... ::cackles evilly:: I am so evil...drawing out the suspense...  
  
Well, I'll post the next chapter when I have fifteen reviews...or maybe I'll be nice and post it at ten...  
  
I'm sorry! I know that was short, and although I can't really promise the next chapter will be longer, a lot of things will come together next chapter. Please review!!!  
  
For Tortall and the Queen's Riders! Fanta 


	3. A Maiden

Guess what? I've gotten fourteen reviews!!! ::jumps for joy squealing with delight:: Fourteen, Fourteen! Who's good? I'm good!!! ::blushes and brushes off clothing:: Oh...you're still watching, aren't you? Hehe... ::sheepish grin:: oh well...Umm...Here's the third chapter...  
  
Everyone who reviewed:  
  
SirPuma: ::huggles:: Thank you...I'll keep that compliment in my heart forever. ::watches Puma screeching:: Aww...I'm sorry. Did the wittle baby not like the big bad cliffie? ::evil grin::  
  
KelDomForever: Thank you! I'm posting...I'm posting...  
  
Lioness Fury: Thank you! I kinda don't understand what you mean by too you please explain? I really /do/ like obeying comments, I just...well, have to understand them first. I know a lot of people who prefer Alanna, but, well, Kel is my favorite, so, well, I'm gonna write this story from her point. Sorry.  
  
Lady Knight Wolfy: You're so kind! (I love your stories!!!) Ummm...thanks a whole lot. About the complaining thing...sorry. I know a lot of people don't like it... Go Kel/Dom! ::cheers::  
  
Local Tree Sprite: Hehehe...the cliffie...I'm continuing thanks to my lovely reviewers out there...hope you continue to like my plot...  
  
Lady Angelique of mysiqu: Thank you so much! I'm trying to update as quickly as possible...  
  
Yamani: I like my plot twists! (mwahahaha!!! The power! The power!!!) They make me feel special...  
  
Keladry of Masbolle: Yeah...I hate cliffies, but...hehe...I always endure them from other writers, so why can't I have a little fun with mine? ::evil cackle::  
  
::Cries with happiness:: Thank you /so/ much to all of you who reviewed! Please review more? Please????  
  
Disclaimer: ::stares into space for twenty minutes without blinking:: OKAY, I ADMIT IT!!! I DON'T OWN ANYTHING!!! ::sigh:: I'm glad to get that off my chest... ::looks at watch:: Okay! I talked, can we /please/ get on with life now???  
  
Without further ado...  
  
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Chapter Three: A Maiden  
  
Kel's hazel eyes were wide with fright. She glanced back at her friends, frozen with weapons raised. All of them had their eyes focused on her, their eyes cheering her on. She glanced at Dom. His mouth was opened wide in mid-shout, but his eyes were both staring at her. She saw something in them, a blur of some emotion that made her go all shaky.  
  
She turned away from Dom. The emotion she had seen in his bright blue eyes had just given her more resolve. With a silent prayer to the goddess, she turned once more to face her foes.  
  
Once more she raised her glaive, holding it in position for battle. She could see the droplets of blood on the unicorn's chins, they were so close...she could see the flecks of black in their scarlet eyes, each individual hair in their manes...she could even smell their breath, and over- powering stench of rotting meat and newly-spilled blood.  
  
About ten paces in front of her they stopped walking. The leader unicorn stared her in the eyes, just waiting for her to look away. Kel did not.  
  
I can beat you, she thought harshly, at least when it comes to wills...I can wait. You can tear me to pieces, but I can beat you when it comes to strength of will!  
  
The hum of magic increased in Kel's ears, buzzing endlessly. A brown-red mist covered Kel's glaive.  
  
The weapon in Kel's hands suddenly increased in weight...it felt as if something was pulling it into the ground, pulling, pulling...  
  
Kel finally let go of the glaive. Looking up she thought fiercly, So this is why you kept me unfrozen? You just wanted to be entertained...  
  
Her thoughts trailed off as the leader immortal walked up to her and stopped a foot away from her. Its horn glinted with deadly purpose. Kel looked up at it with hardly-concealed terror...this was the end. But then she remembered the look in Dom's eyes. That glint of something. That gave her strength. She wouldn't die weeping on the ground—she would die a warrior!  
  
But then something unexpected happened...a billow of fog the color of moss surrounded all of the immortals. Unlike the fog that had enveloped her glaive, which had the feeling of pain and suffering, this cloud had a feeling of peace and life...of hope. It swirled around each unicorn like a small whirlwind.  
  
Behind the magical screen of mist something was happening to the unicorns...Jagged teeth became rounded and smooth, just for the use of cropping grass. The coats that had been shaggy and yellow became silky and pure white. All blood clotted on the coats of the immortals disappeared. The horns which adorned the brows of the immortals and before had been used only as weapons, now developed a pearly glow. The eyes that had before been blood-colored now became the lightest moss-green.  
  
With a faint breeze the unicorn's shroud blew away to reveal whole new creatures. These were no longer blood-thirsty killers, but gentle beasts representing peace and nature.  
  
Kel gasped with wonder, and her comrades would have gasped also if it weren't for the fact that they were frozen in place.  
  
The leader unicorn looked into Kel's eyes and she had a feeling of complete harmony inside. The immortal took the final step closer to Kel and placed the tip of its shimmering horn on her forehead. It closed its eyes, as if expressing respect. All of the unicorns behind the leader bowed their heads, then went to their knees in submission.  
  
A whisper went through Kel's head as she gazed at the magnificent beasts in wonder. It reminded her of wolves howling in pack song, and of the wind that swept the barren desert. Of men and women everywhere cheering, and at the same time the wailing of every mourning soul ever to set foot on the earth. It took all of Kel's training to keep herself from clapping her hands over her ears. The whispering voice simply stated, You have tamed them. Now what will you do with them?   
  
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Neal could only watch helplessly as the beasts approached his best friend. The magic held him tightly as he tried with every ounce of his being to move. He cared about Kel like a younger sister—heck! He cared about Kel more than his own sister her age! But no matter how much he struggled, his body would not move at all; his fingers didn't twitch, his lips didn't even quiver.  
  
He could now see her struggling with her own weapon. Magic was pulling it away from her. Scoundrels! He thought wildly, they are playing with her like a cat does with its prey! Bloody cowards! They wouldn't stand a chance if they weren't using magic on Kel! She could even give a dragon a healthy fight!!!  
  
He watched with horror as Kel tried to stare down the leader who had approached her, now within striking range. A small trill of something beautiful went through Neal's head. A dark green mist veiled the unicorns. When the shroud was shredded by a brisk breeze, the monsters had been transformed into beautiful, majestic creatures.  
  
He stared in awe as the leader placed its shining horn on Kel's forehead. The other immortals bowed to her, keeping their heads down in upmost respect.  
  
Realization struck Neal, hard. Relief swamped him so quickly that he didn't know whether to laugh or cry...but seeing that he was frozen, he couldn't really do either.  
  
He had read about immortals in many books. Among these, he had read about the unicorn. Not the flesh-eating kind, but rather, the normal, beautiful kind, like these that were now before Kel.  
  
One of the largest myths dealing with the unicorn was that a maiden could tame them—a maiden could call upon them at any time, and they would come. Apparently it didn't matter if a unicorn was flesh-eating or not, for when they were tamed they were changed back to normal.  
  
It took a maiden to tame the unicorns of GreenRidge. And one had tamed them. Keladry of Mindelan had tamed them. Not as a knight, or as a warrior, but as herself. As the maiden she was.  
  
And theeerrreee'sss chapter three!  
  
I hope you like it! This is why it mattered that the immortals attacking the village were flesh-eating unicorns and not hurroks or something. Please review!!! Next chapter at twenty reviews!  
  
Fanta 


	4. Advantages

::does victory dance:: Yay! Let the reviews come in!!! Yay!!! ::smiles sheepishly:: Okay...I'll stop gloating now.  
  
Thank you, all of my reviewers:  
  
dragon shadows: Thank you! It's so fun writing fanfiction, and even funner getting positive reviews! I'm sorry if asking for 20 sounds greedy...I'm just so exited! my first story on its second day, getting twenty reviews! I couldn't help myself!  
  
Teepers: Okay! I admit it! I /do/ want to write more! The lucky thing for you is the fact that I have twenty reviews already...  
  
Enchantress Sun: Hehe...I love cliffies...they're all in the minds of the interpreters... Thank you! I'm updating!  
  
Lady Knight Wolfy: Yeah...I love the moral-kinda-things that deal with girl power! They make me so happy! There will be more of that in this chapter. Thanks to the compliments...I love it when people compliment my word choice ::sighs:: I love adjectives.  
  
SeaStar: Thanks so much! I can't believe you like it so much that you'd get a headache for me! ;)  
  
Wake-Robin: Thank you! I really love tense cliffies! They make me feel happy!  
  
rootless californian: ::cries with happiness:: Thank you! ::sniff:: I hope you won't be disappointed about what happens next...  
  
SirPuma: ::dodges baton:: Please spare me! Here the chapter is! I typed it up all special! ::dodges again:: Just put that thing away!!!  
  
Keladry of Masbolle: ::huggles:: thank you! I wish I could update twice in the same day without it being crappy, too... ;)  
  
Lady Angelique of mystiqu: Yay! I'm unique! I hope you mean unique in the good way... Thanks!  
  
::sob:: Thank you so much! I thought everyone would ignore my first fic, but I was wrong! Thank you...thank you...::sob::  
  
To all of those who have stuck with me from my first chapter: ::FLYINGHUGGLEJPOUNCEGLOMPSNUGGLESQUISHSQUEEZETACKLE:: I love you all! Same thing for all of you who will continue to read my mindless babble!  
  
Disclaimer: ::Yawns:: I think you all get the point. I. Do. Not. Own. Anything. Do I have to spell it out??? ::realization dawns:: Actually, considering the fact that I have to type all of this, I /do/ have to spell it all out, don't I?  
  
Without further hesitation...  
  
Chapter four: Advantages  
  
Kel blinked. After believing that she was going to die, the now-gorgeous creatures bowing to her instead of killing her was a little disappointing, if not a relief. For a whole minute nothing moved. But then, as if because of a mysterious signal, all of the kneeling unicorns got to their feet, although still gazing at Kel with respect. The leader unicorn was the last to straighten its self. It took a step back, then made a trilling whinny. It almost sounded like singing.  
  
All of the men could move once more. Their arms dropped, often weapons clanging to the ground. Jaws closed with snaps, and men shook out limbs that had fallen asleep. Four men even fell from their saddles, for they had been frozen in awkward positions. The archers' arrows hissed overhead. They had been aimed for the unicorns, and flew straight and true, but a few yards in front of each target, the arrows would bounce harmlessly off of the air.  
  
It's a good thing we don't have to fight them, Kel thought, still in a slight daze, or else we would lose miserably.  
  
Behind her, her friends were slowly recollecting their senses, blinking stupidly as they cautiously tested once-frozen body parts. Suddenly Dom raised his sword in the air once more. He glanced around at his fellows and raised a bellow, "Three cheers for Lady Kel!"  
  
All of the men raised their swords or punched the air above their heads each time they shouted a "Hurrah!" In the thundering of a hundred men cheering at once, Kel couldn't even hear her thoughts.  
  
But the cheering didn't end after three times. It went on and on.  
  
That night Kel sat in her tent. She had wrapped herself in several layers of blankets, but was still cold. The cold had lessened a bit since their ride had ended, but it was still freezing out. She was actually a lot warmer than the rest of the men in the camp, for the unicorns had been very protective of her, and once everyone had stopped cheering, and went to set a camp, they had surrounded her tent and refused to leave. When the unicorns understood that their mistress wanted them to stop their destruction of the village, all of the smoldering buildings had immediately stopped smoking.  
  
The dead were still out there, but had been moved into piles under shelter. In the morning groups of men would be sent out to dig graves.  
  
Suddenly Kel heard the warning neighs of angry unicorns. The click of teeth coming together was audible, and then a squeak. Kel sighed, then got up and went to the tent flap to save Neal.  
  
Sure enough, Neal was standing with his hands over his head and his left elbow in the jaws of the lead unicorn. Earlier, after Kel's fear of being speared to death by the immortals had worn off, she had inspected the leader enough to come to the conclusion that it was male. The height of its shoulders was about the height of Kel's shoulders, so the unicorn topped her off by about a foot. The rest of the unicorns were female, and from five to ten inches shorter than the male. Although the male had light moss- colored eyes, all of his females had eyes that were all pale purple.  
  
Because Kel still got that wonderful, peaceful feeling each time she gazed into the leader unicorn's eyes, she had named him Nalinamar, the Yamani word for "Peace".  
  
Kel went to Neal's aid and grabbed his right hand, dragging him away from Nalinamar. "Seriously, Neal, you have to stop making that squeaky noise whenever you're bit. It just encourages horses to bite you."  
  
"But Kel—" Neal began to whine. Kel stopped him by covering his mouth with her free hand.  
  
"No buts." Taking her hand away from his lips, she asked, "Why did you even come here at all?"  
  
"You see, I just wanted to make sure that you knew why the unicorns let you live, as they would have killed us...and all of the advantages to having tamed the unicorns." His voice was smug, so she slapped him lightly.  
  
"Just because you're my best friend doesn't mean I'll let you be cocky. Explain things to me, or you'll just answer to me on the practice courts!" Seeing his eyes widen with alarm, Kel stepped back from him. "I know about the first thing. A virgin, a young girl, can tame a unicorn if they have a good heart. Doesn't every mother tell these tales to her daughters? I do know a few of the advantages this brings: first of all, because of this we stopped the unicorns. They would have, I guess, been able to kill all of you men with no difficulty. Secondly, there's the fact that if these unicorns will obey all of my commands, Tortall has a new fighting force. Do you have anything to add to this, almighty researcher of books?"  
  
Neal was a little surprised that she knew this much. He had been one of the only men out of the hundred or so that knew why Kel had not been frozen, been spared, then turned the unicorns beautiful. Neal had all ready been explaining this to the rest of the men for the past few hours, and so it was a shock to find that she wasn't clueless like the rest.  
  
"Well, yes. There are more reasons," Neal replied. Then continuing in a slightly chiding manner he said, "Leave it to you, of course, to give all of the reasons that will help others! There are two other reasons.  
  
"Which are...?" prompted Kel. She didn't really like the games Neal always played when he was going to tell someone something.  
  
"Well, a third reason to add to your two is that people probably won't doubt girls as much, as they have been lately. You have been worried about that, have you not? They will see that there is something special that only women can do, and some might even hurry to make special groups devised of only maidens to help against Unicorn problems. For saving a hundred men, you'll also be a hero for the billionth time. Excuse me" he grinned, "You'll be a /heroine/ for the billionth time."  
  
Kel smiled at this. She /had/ been worried, and she couldn't deny it. "What's the fourth reason, dear friend Nealan?" She drawled sarcastically. She couldn't stand his conceited attitude, for he had started to smirk again. "Well, you know...the maiden thing..."  
  
"No. I don't know. What's your point, Neal?"  
  
"Well, you tamed them..." he grinned suggestively.  
  
Kel sighed and rolled her eyes at her friend's antics. Yes. He definitely was like a brother to her. Friends couldn't possibly be this annoying.  
  
"And your point is...?" she asked him blankly, her last thread of patience about to snap.  
  
Seeing all of Kel's "danger" signs starting to turn on, Neal decided it was time to stop beating around the bush and spill the beans.  
  
"Unicorns can only be tamed by maidens Kel," he explained slowly, "so after you've tamed twenty of them in from of an entire company of the King's Own, no one can say you bedded your way to knighthood anymore."  
  
"Good night, Neal." Kel's voice was low and dangerous. He left without another word besides his returned "good night".  
  
Kel sat down on her bed roll and put her face in her hands. Of course. Leave it to Neal to point out that the entire court could no longer call her a slut. She sighed heavily and stood up once more.  
  
Tugging her heavy cloak over her head, she decided that she needed some fresh air. She swept aside her tent flap and stepped into the frigid night air. As if to reassure herself, she stroked Nalinamar's muzzle gently.  
  
Gazing up at the starts in the sky she breathed deeply. Although she had been irritated by Neal's second reason, she was glad that he had pointed out the first. She /had/ worried.  
  
She glared at the night sky in satisfaction and thought almost smugly, So there is an advantage to being a girl. There is an advantage to being me.  
  
::flinches:: I know that was terribly short! Please don't kill me! ::hides eyes with hands:: Please???  
  
Will you review? Please? I know this is probably my worst chapter so far, but will you please have mercy? Please pity a poor soul like me? I'll post the next chapter at, umm...twenty-seven reviews.  
  
Fanta 


	5. Bandits

::squeaks with joy and runs around in circles:: Thank you everyone!!! I know that chapter four was my worst chapter, but thank you to everyone who reviewed anyways! ::huggles::  
  
To my reviewers: I'm really sorry, but I'm getting way too many reviews to post replies to each! I really love reading each review, and I really love finding I've gotten two or three more reviews than I could have hoped, but It's getting just a tad too hard. As requested, there is Peachblossom in this chapter! And maybe a little bit of Dom, too...  
  
::sniff sniff:: thank you to all who reviewed! ::sob:: you guys make my day! (Do you ::sniffle:: think I'm too dramatic?...Nah!)  
  
Disclaimer: Hmmm...I think the main question now is whether I have to write one of these miserable, irritating bits of information for each chapter...'cause I think you /all/ understand that the score is:  
  
Tamora Pierce: 9999999999999999 (the characters, the settings, the attitudes, heck! Even the flesh-eating unicorns)  
  
Fanta: -1 (the plot, ::boooo::)  
  
IMPORTANT: READ THIS Everyone, just to make sure you all understand this, I DID NOT make up the unicorn myth about a maiden being able to tame them!!! That is an old myth that's in lots of childrens books everywhere. I did add the part about it working on flesh-eating unicorns, and about it turning them back to normal, but I DID NOT make up the myth!!!  
  
Before the stalling takes its toll...  
  
()()()()()()()()()()  
  
Chapter Five: Bandits  
  
Domitan of Masbolle sat in his bedroll. He hadn't been able to sleep at all and it was one o'clock in the morning. He knew he should rest, for he would most likely lead a squad to dig mass-buriel grave sites in the morning. But he 't.  
  
He kept replaying the scene that had happened about fifteen hours before in his head. There was something wrong with the way it happened.  
  
When he hadn't been able to move, along with the rest of third company, and Kel had been, they had all thought her a goner. She had obviously been afraid, and had tried desperately to hide it behind her Yamani mask. She had turned, seeking all of the faces of her friends for encouragement, until her eyes had rested on his.  
  
Something had happened then, something that made him feel weird inside. He had realized that she was beautiful.  
  
Before he hadn't really even remembered that she was a girl. She had just been another guy. A comrade, a fellow fighter. He had never realised her gender before, so why should he suddenly think she was beautiful?  
  
With a sigh he thought slowly, I guess you never know how you care about someone until you have the chance to lose them.  
  
()()()()()()()()()()  
  
Five days later, third company, the knights, and the unicorns, left GreenRidge. They had buried all the dead and washed away all the blood, leaving it a ghost town.  
  
As Kel took one final look over her shoulder at GreenRidge and silently recited a Yamani prayer for all of the spirits of the dead to find their way to the Black God. She hated death of innocent people, but becoming a knight had been her way of reassuring that even if she didn't like it, she would see it always.  
  
They were heading back to Corus. They wanted to explain what had happened with the unicorns as soon as possible to those who should know: Numair Salmalin, the most powerful mage in Tortall, Veralidaine Sarrasri, the WildMage, and King Jonathan.  
  
Kel rode on Hoshi. Peachblossom had been more irritating (or as Neal had put it after being kicked into the dirt and then bit twice, "pure evil") since Nalinamar and his herd had come. Although the horse would never admit it to even Daine, Kel knew that he was just jealous. Everytime one of the unicorns approached him he would shoot it a glare that said, 'Just because we both like to bite the same two-legger doesn't mean we're friends!'  
  
On two accounts he almost succeeded in biting off a unicorn's ear when it wasn't paying attention.  
  
Peachblossom was tied to Hoshi's saddle. He was close enough to nip Hoshi, but whenever he seemed to be eyeing the mare with too much interest, Kel would smack him on the muzzle and say, "Don't even /think/ about it."  
  
Ever since the unicorn scenario, Neal had stuck to Kel like a bur. He was playing the part of "big brother" and wouldn't leave her side for an instant until she threatened to stuff him in Peachblossom's stall and lock the door.  
  
Because of Peachblossom's current mood, Neal was unnaturally quiet. Every time he started writing love poems out loud, Peachblossom would snap his teeth warningly a few inches from Neal's face or limbs.  
  
After a while Neal gave up even trying to write love poems at all. Instead he slumped in his saddle dejectedly and muttered darkly about horses who weren't smart enough to appreciate poetry.  
  
()()()()()()()()()()  
  
The group was about two hours from Corus, in deep forest, when Raoul gestured for them to halt. He had seen movement in the brush.  
  
The commander was about the signal for scouts to move ahead and investigate when bandits broke from the folaige.  
  
Under most circumstances, Kel would have stopped to wonder how there were so many. About one-hundred-twenty men galloped forward on shaggy horses. Actually only thirty men galloped forward. The rest were on foot.  
  
But now was no time to think. She grabbed her glaive and cut down a man who was trying to pull her from her saddle. Peachblossom trampled another man under his hooves, as if taking out all his annoyance out on this man ruthlessly.  
  
But then the unicorns were there. They kicked in all directions with sharp hooves, spearing with horns sharper than swords, and biting. They practically flew from man to man, striking them down, goring them with horns, and biting off fingers without a thought. And Kel noticed one thing in particular: the more blood the unicorns shed, the more they started to resume their original shape. Coats turned yellow, teeth sharpened, and eyes turned scarlet.  
  
It was over. Although usually from a band of only thirty bandits there would be surrendered men, the unicorns had killed with so much speed that none of the bandits had had time to surrender. The men of the Own simply stared at the immortals. Some with fear, some with amazement. Most with both.  
  
Kel knew what she had to do. She dismounted Hoshi and walked slowly to the unicorns. Looking into those red eyes, she reached out a hand and simply whispered, "come back".  
  
Once more the green mist appeared, and when it dissapeared, the unicorns were once more beautiful, graceful animals.  
  
"I guess we know how the unicorns will help the realm," Neal stated quietly.  
  
Behind him Peachblossom snorted with disgust. These two-leggers were going all ga-ga over these stupid horses with horns on their foreheads. And it was starting to annoy him. He shot a glance at Nalinamar that clearly declared, 'They might think you're better for now, but I'm gonna change that. I'm better than you, and I can prove it. This is war.'  
  
::sigh:: I know that wasn't really my best chapter either, but I'm running out of ideas! My first fanfiction, and I have thirty-two reviews on my third day! I had no idea that it would be this successful!  
  
I tried to make this chapter as long as possible, but it isn't very good, so now I don't know if I should have even bothered. Please review. I might wait a little longer than usual to post the next chapter because it seems that everytime I pick a number, I get that amout of reviews in an hour or two. I know I should jump for joy (and I am! really!), but it might take a little longer to get chapter six up because, believe it or not, I do have a life besides writing fanfiction. Ever since I started writing this story, that's pretty much all I've done. Please understand, and please review.  
  
Fanta 


	6. This is War

Okay...thanks...that whole-day break was refreshing! Actually...not. I live in New Mexico. We get, like, one good rain a year here, and guess what? today we got that rain during my whole-day break. And...my dad dragged me to a baseball game!!! In short, I sat for three hours in the rain, waiting for the stupid baseball people to stop delaying the game. I sat for /THREE HOURS/ in pouring rain until they decided to cancel the hell-born, simple- minded, gods-cursed, Mithros-damned, Demon-created BASEBALL GAME!!! ::rants::  
  
Okay...Here we go...to all of my reviewers for chapters four and five...(this could take a while—there /is/ a chapter down there somewhere, but I just feel like I have to reply to all of my reviewers...)  
  
imperfectionist-angel185: Thank you! I /will/ continue writing and updating for reviewers like you!  
  
PsychoLioness13: Thanks. I'm trying to make the chapters as long as possible, but it's hard. I like making people happy, but I need to think of a long idea before I can write a long chappie.  
  
Lioness Fury: Thank you lots! I'm trying to continue as fast as possible!  
  
Wake-Robin: Thank you /loads/! Thank you for telling me the parts of character you like about Peachblossom—it helps me when it comes to writing more successful chapters  
  
dragon shadows: No, I don't think you implied I sounded greedy—well, some times people types weird things in chat talk (no offense) and I...er...don't really understand them so I interpret them to what I /think/ the person is saying... Thanks though! I love all of my reviews too much to squabble about one...especially when you apologized for something you didn't do, and everything...  
  
Erkith: Ummm...I made "Nalinamar" (the word) up. I just threw together a bunch of consonants and vowels until it sounded...well...peaceful. The thing that I interpret when I read about Dom's flirting in canon is that just because Dom flirts with her doesn't mean that he thinks of her any differently. I mean, just because, in Lady Knight, all of Kel's friends call her "mother", that doesn't mean any of them actually /think/ of her like a mother...did that make sense? Oh well...maybe my story is just completely ooc and I shouldn't even try to explain...  
  
Lady Knight Wolfy: Thank you so much! Thank you for telling me which ideas you especially like, and thank you for reassuring me that my fourth chapter wasn't a complete waste!  
  
dreamerdoll: I LOVE YOUR FICS!!! (could you please please please please please please PLEASE write more to your one untitled Kel/Dom fic? Please? you can't stop and leave us in the dark!) ::faints:: one of my favorite authors said my very first fic was great? ::sobs with happiness:: you have no idea how happy that comment has made me! ::cries:: thank you so much! ::sniff:: Thank you for telling me Peachblossom is in character...I'll keep him that way. Thank you for telling me about my spelling error. "burial" has always been an evil word for me, and my spell-check is all screwy ::grumbles:: If I put he't, it is probably something like he's or he'd...sorry I can't be more specific! Thank you, thank you, thank you! Thank you!!!  
  
GKBDoM: Thank you for the advise and compliments! I really love advise, and maybe this might just work for me...  
  
Lady Light: Thank you so much! I feel so happy each time I read a review like yours that says you like my junk! Thank you!  
  
Lil' Dixie: You're coming to /me/ for advise? I've never been so touched! Thank you so much...I mean, this is only my first fic... my major hint to you is it seems that reviewers like good description, and using new adjectives, not just the same ones over and over...just because the audience should know what Dom looks like, doesn't mean you can't help their imagination a bit...  
  
SeaStar: Thank you! Each of your reviews makes me happier and happier! I love loyal reviewers like you! You make my day!  
  
rootless californian: yeah. I hate it when people make Kel sound ignorant...in this she proves that /at least/ she knows what all little girls in her time period know...it's not like she /wasn't/ a little girl once!  
  
Lady Anglique of mystiqu: Yay! I'm unique in the good way! ::does unique dance:: I love it when Neal is squeakiful...  
  
Erkith: Thank you! I love Kel/Dom! It makes me happy...maiden taming? Hmm...Dom could do some of that...  
  
Keladry of Masbolle: Umm...please don't choke yourself? I really don't want to be sued at your expense... Thanks for...err...caring, though!  
  
SirPuma: I know chapter four wasn't as good, but thanks for reading anyways. I love it when people admit they like my stuff even when it's not in its prime! Thank you! I'll try to make Neal more sarcastic though...  
  
Disclaimer: Me. No. Own. Simple, yet affective.  
  
Okay, before you guys strangle me for the delay (like that baseball game! ::raves:: )...  
  
=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=  
  
Chapter Six: This is War  
  
Third company dug trenches for the burial (A/N: thank you dreamerdoll!!!) of the bandits, then set off for Corus once again. It was so close, they could practically /smell/ the hot baths and dry cloths it would bring.  
  
For the rest of the way, Peachblossom was oddly silent. Neal ventured a line of a poem, and the gelding did not even glance at him. The horse just glared at the back of Nalinamar with hate and continued walking. By the time they reached the Palace stables, Kel was handling him almost like a bomb...one that could explode at any moment.  
  
Is he ill? Kel thought, baffled. Peachblossom had never been like this before. He hadn't really ever been /quiet/ before, let alone quiet and looking like he was brooding about something.  
  
"Neal, could you come here please?" Kel asked sweetly. Neal looked rather suspicious at her tone of voice but decided it was better to go to her and get whatever it was over with than to have her force him to do it. He slowly, carefully, hesitantly walked over to her. She grabbed his arm and dragged him unceremoniously to Peachblossom's stall, ignoring his yelps of terror.  
  
"Kel, keep me away from that monster! I wish to live!" His voice was high and squeaky with fear, and Kel was almost satisfied to see that he had called her "Kel". Apparently he was so afraid that his sarcasm was starting to desolve—he hadn't called her "my dear lady knight" or "love" or any such nonsense.  
  
Neal stopped completely and wouldn't budge an inch when he and Kel were within ten paces of the "stall of doom". Although Neal stood up straight like he was going to tell her something, she just shoved him in the stall's direction. Just as Neal's luck goes, he was pushed, then tripped over his own feet about a foot in front of the door, making him fall on his stomach. He slid the last few inches until his head and shoulders were completely under the stall door.  
  
Neal screamed loudly and shuffled backwards, trying to escape. Three times he tried to stand up, only to bonk his head or lower back on the bottom of the door. He was squealing hysterically now, scrabbling at the straw- covered floor for any way to push himself out of the stall.  
  
Peachblossom just glanced at him. The horse had more important things on his mind. Finally, when Peachblossom's squeaky toy wouldn't leave him alone or stop making noises he would usually make only when bit, the gelding simply took one of his giant hooves and pushed Neal gently out of the stall.  
  
Neal slid out from under the door unharmed, his eyes wide with wonder. He whispered hoarsely, "I have seen a miracle."  
  
Kel stared for what seemed like hours before she was able to recollect herself and go off to find Daine. Peachblossom was more seriously ill than she had thought. =:=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=  
  
The WildMage came as quickly as possible, following Kel out to the stables to see Peachblossom.  
  
Daine gave the gelding a thorough examination, then tried to talk to him. The horse simply seemed to be grumbling to himself. The only word Daine could detect out of his dark mutterings was "unicorns".  
  
Daine assured Kel that the horse was fine...just, preoccupied. Kel was confused (since when was a horse preoccupied?), but simply nodded in understanding. That's what happens when animals have been around the Palace for long...they start to, well, be not-animal-like.  
  
=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=  
  
Peachblossom's POV:  
  
Day 2 since war is declared: I have observed the enemy today. There is something suspicious about them... They are just as "perfect" as usual. Little do they know, I am aware of their secrets...now, just to find out what their secrets are... Today my squeaky toy came to me with a whole bucket of oats. He bowed to me repeatedly and said things about giving tribute to "the merciful and wonderful horse god for sparing his miserable life". The "tribute" was good, but I was too busy thinking of battle strategies to bite him. Two- leggers (especially this one) can be /sooooooo/ stupid. What would they do without us higher life-forms to help them? Whenever the squeaky toy comes near my stall, he bows. It's getting annoying. Maybe I'll have to bite him to get him to stop...  
  
=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=  
  
Two days after arriving back at Corus, strange things started happening.  
  
A bucket of nails that were used for repairing stalls had been left in the stables...near Peachblossom's stall. The unicorns had been stabled earlier. They had all been put next to each other in spare stalls which happened to be...near Peachblossom's. One morning three unicorns had to see Daine because they had lost or cracked teeth due to the fact that there /just happened to be/ nails in their hay. Numerous nails were also found littered all over the stall floors.  
  
Three days after that a unicorn woke up in the morning with what appeared to be a metal ring from a bridle on its horn. The unicorn immediately started to shake its head and toss its horn—which is why it didn't notice the wall until it ran into it. Its horn had to be cut out of the wall because it was imbedded three inches deep. Two more of theses mysterious rings were found on the ground in the unicorn's stall.  
  
Whenever Kel rode on Peachblossom and the Unicorns were along, the immortals seemed to mysteriously trip and stumble often.  
  
The strangest thing of all was the fact that Peachblossom was acting /nice/. He never grumbled, didn't bite anyone (including Neal!) and worked twice as hard as usual, especially when any of the unicorns were present.  
  
=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=  
  
Peachblossom's POV:  
  
Day 3 since war is declared: Today I discovered a tin pail of what appeared to be pointy metal spikes outside my stall. I believe they were once called "nails" by Daine. In my stall I found the wooden comb thing that my personal two-legger uses to untangle my tail and mane. I found that if I grasped it in between my teeth and stuck it out of my stall door, hooked the pail's edge in between two of its teeth, and pulled, the bucket would topple over, giving me access to the spilled spike things.  
  
Day 4 since war was declared: Last night I found what I could do with the spiky metal things. After practicing my aim for about two hours, I was able to spit the iron nail-things into the enemy's hay troughs. Very pleased with self—this morning three of the foe were eating their morning hay when they bit into nails, breaking or cracking teeth—all three had to visit Daine. Stupid WildMage—thought she was on my side.  
  
Day 6 since war was declared: I have been working especially hard lately—the stupid, horn-headed dolts don't stand a chance when I do my best. Haha. Soon the rest of the stupid two-leggers will /have/ to think I'm better if I keep this up.  
  
The unicorns don't seem to get that I am superior. Although I was able to bite one on the rump yesterday, It healed its self. Stupid unicorn. I'll just have to do something to prove to them that I am /always/ better.  
  
Day 7 since war was declared: I have come up with the perfect plan. Today when I was passing by the spare tack (A/N: is that the way you spell that word when talking about horse equipment?) parts and was able to smuggle five rings from bridles away in my mouth. I know what I'm doing with them...the plan goes into play tonight.  
  
Day 8 since war was declared: I practiced aiming a little more last night before using the rings. I was on my third ring before I was able to shoot it neatly onto one of the unicorn's horns. Stupid unicorn. Didn't even wake up.  
  
This morning, however, it /did/ see the ring on its nose when it awoke. It immediately began running in circles, shaking its head and bucking its horn. Stupid unicorn. It ran straight into a wall and got its horn stuck three inches deep. Haha.  
  
Better yet, whenever my pet two-legger takes me out so she can get onto my back, I trip and nip at the unicorns whenever they're not looking (they always insist on coming. Stupid Unicorns). Because they trip and jump so much, people are starting to doubt their gracefulness.  
  
Those wussy, sissy, prissy, arrogant, cocky, haughty, /stupid/ unicorns don't stand a chance.  
  
Okay...umm...there's chapter six. I know it's pretty lame, but I'm not sure exactly what to put next. Truth be told, I didn't plan this "horsy war" at all. It just kinda came along.  
  
Umm...I'm thinking about changing the title because it's not really about "flesh-eating" unicorns any more. It is a good title, and has served its purpose, but I'm not sure if it describes the story overly well. I want suggestions! Tell me what you think this story should be called if not "FleshEating Unicorns"!!!  
  
And don't forget...REVIEW!!! 


	7. Fate

I can't believe this is so late! I'm /so/ sorry! Please forgive me! ::wails:: please!  
  
I'm SO sorry my last chapter was so lame! I'm sorry! ::weeps:: please forgive me! ::covers eyes with hands:: I'm afraid to look at my reviews because of chapter six! ::peeks through quivering fingers:: Mithros! I looked...wait...you /liked/ it? All of you /liked/ it??? ::blinks stupidly, in daze:: ::realization strikes:: ::runs in circles squealing:: ::sobs hysterically:: you guys don't have the faintest clue how happy you make me!!!  
  
To all my reviewers: ::falls to knees at you feet:: thank you! thank you! ::touches forehead to ground:: Thank you! I can't really reply to every single one of your reviews anymore...I got ::counts on fingers:: /sixteen/ reviews for chapter six! I'm sorry, but that's just a few too many. From now on, all of those who compliment shall have my upmost gratitude guaranteed, but only those who asked questions or made comments that I need to reply to will get answers.  
  
Lady Knight Wolfy: ummm...the unicorn's horn /didn't/ get cut off...if it seemed that way, I'm sorry. What happened was, since the horn was so deeply embedded, the people cut the /wood/ to liberate the trapped horn. The horn is still intact (although maybe a bit scratched ;) )—Peachblossom isn't doing this to destroy all of the unicorns (though I'm sure he would just see that as an added bonus) but to show them that /he/ is the best—that no matter what, he is superior.  
  
Disclaimer: ::weeps hysterically:: I don't own anything! Anything! ANYTHING!!! ::runs in circles screaming insanely:: ::Is dragged off by men in white lab coats:: NO!!!!! Not the room! Not the room!  
  
::sniffle:: okay guys...this chapter is back to business...not much silly things anymore...mostly serious plot-kinda-things...::makes silly face:: there—that was one of the only silly things in this chapter, so /live with it/!  
  
Lights...camera...ACTION!!!  
  
  
  
Chapter seven: Fate  
  
Kel laid on her bed, staring at the ceiling. Around her hopped sparrows, peeping anxiously, and by her feet lay Jump, beating his tail on the bed, a look of upmost concern (not a very common expression for a dog to wear) etched on his face.  
  
In Kel's mind she kept replaying that voice. The one that had come to her once she had tamed the unicorns. "You have tamed them. Now what will you do with them?" It was unlike any voice she had ever heard before. Even the memory of it hurt. Why had someone asked her that? Why?  
  
Finally she could no longer take it—she just /had/ to go see Neal. As far as she was concerned, if he was willing on an every-day basis to recite needless facts to her and their friends, he could also give her answers and research things when necessary.  
  
Her feet had taken her to Neal's door. With her knuckles, she rapped three times. No answer greeted her knockings. Kel tried the handle and it turned. Slowly she pushed the door open, and called quietly, "Neeee-eeaaalll?" in a sing-song voice. She almost started laughing at what she saw. He and Yuki were kissing passionately, standing near their hearth. They were so engrossed in each other that they didn't even seem to hear Kel's call.  
  
Slowly Kel walked over to the couple and Tapped Neal's shoulder, "Oh Neeee- eeaaalll?"  
  
Neal squealed and jumped back from Yuki, tripped over a book on the floor, and tumbled to earth. Yuki produced her fan and snapped it open to conceal her swollen lips—she was trying to hide her smile. Finally the Yamani gave up and collapsed in a barrage of giggles.  
  
Kel smiled innocently down at Neal and inquired sweetly, "Why are you on the floor, dear Meathead?"  
  
Neal scowled at her mercilessly, "Because, dear Protector, I have a friend like you!"  
  
"Awww..." Kel cooed in false-sympathy, "Poor wittle Nealan has his feelings hurt!"  
  
Neal made no reply to this remark, and instead stood up and dusted himself off, grumbling darkly under his breath about pathetic, cruel lady knights who pretended to be people's friends just so the scoundrels could push their "companions" off of cliffs of treachery...or something to that effect.  
  
"Oh, Meathead dearest, I need to discuss something with you. If you don't stop muttering things, I won't be able to think straight, and you know how much I hate that, don't you, Nealy sweety?" Kel's face continued to wear a mask of innocence, concern, and sweet good-nature, but her eyes twinkled evilly.  
  
Yuki winked at Kel and strutted out of the room, leaving the two knights alone to discuss matters.  
  
Suddenly Kel became serious. "Neal, I haven't told you something yet—when I had just tamed the unicorns, I heard this voice go through my head..." she continued to explain what it had said, and how it was oddly feminine, in a way, how the sound of it hurt every ounce of her being...finally Neal hauled them off to the library. After rooting through bookshelves for a while, they went to visit Alanna the Lioness. When they found her and explained their predicament, the champion simply said,  
  
"That was the Goddess."  
  
Neal slapped his forehead and exclaimed, "Of course! Who else but the Great Mother would control unicorns? Only maidens can tame them, so /of course/ the Great Lady would have created them!"  
  
"But Neal, what does it mean? Why would the /Goddess/ talk to /me/?"  
  
Neal rubbed his chin thoughtfully with one hand and tapped the armrest to his chair with the other. Scrunching his eyebrows together, he thought for a moment, then said, "There must be some /reason/ you tamed the unicorns...not every virgin girl can do it—they have to be strong of will, pure of heart, kind of soul—"  
  
"Your point please, dear Neal." Neal blinked stupidly to clear his daze, then realized that he had begun to wander and stated quickly,  
  
"Not every girl can tame a unicorn, let alone a herd of twenty or more—"  
  
"Twenty-six" Kel corrected automatically.  
  
Neal waved one of his hands in dismissal of such a trivial fact and continued, "my point being that the Goddess chose you to do this task—you were not only the only girl in Third Company to be able to even /hope/ to tame any unicorns, and maybe you're the only girl /anywhere/ who fits the perfect description to be able to tame all of those unicorns."  
  
"And...?"  
  
"And, Lady Knight, that means this is not chance...this is fate."  
  
::hits head repeatedly on desk:: I know that was terribly, horribly, grotesquely short after such a long wait, but PLEASE BEAR WITH ME!!! ::sobs:: I have a serious case of writer's block...help me and tell me:  
  
what kind of quest should Kel be sent on with her unicorns? should she go alone, or should she "magically" (fatefully hehe...) find another girl(s) that can help with the unicorns? what nationality should the bad guys be? (Gallan, Scanran, Tyran, Carthaki, etc.) should Dom and Kel kiss /before/ or /after/ Kel goes on her questy-thing? (definitely my top priority...lol)  
  
So...let me know...If I get good advise, I might have the chapter ready today! Maybe at 75 reviews...  
  
Fanta 


	8. Dreams

I'm baaaaa-aaaack! ::scree scree scree:: ::screams in background::  
  
::laughs hysterically:: Mwahaha!!! I have overcome my writer's block with ::dun dun dunnn:: the knitting needles of doom! :: cackles evilly:: ::pokes writer's block with needles:: ::writer's block flees::  
  
Thank you /so/ much to everyone who reviewed! I got /so/ many good ideas... I was planning on replying to everyone with good ideas and telling them which I used and which I didn't...but...I decided that I'm going to keep writing and you'll find out which I chose and which I didn't...I know...I'm /so/ evil!  
  
Disclaimer: Haha. I own it all! ::nose grows an inch:: Really! I do! ::nose grows two inches:: Why don't you believe me??? ::nose grows foot:: ::weeps hysterically:: Okay! Fine! I admit it! I don't own anything! ::nose disappears with a 'pop':: ::nose is completely gone:: Hey! My nose is /gone/! Oh yeah...I /do/ own the plot...::nose comes back in regular size:: Awww...I was hoping I could blame my plot on someone else...::sob::  
  
My creation...It LIVES!!!  
  
()()()()()()()()()()  
  
Chapter Eight: Dreams  
  
Kel fell onto her bed with a groan. Was she really chosen by the Goddess for something? How /could/ she be chosen by the Great Mother for something? It was...well.../impossible/!  
  
Realizing that she had to get up sometime and ready herself for sleep, Kel heaved herself into a sitting position, then slowly walked across the room. She removed her tunic and dropped it on the floor, still thinking. Her shirt and breeches joined it, and she removed her breastband's straps and pulled her breastband down her body to kick it off her foot. The undergarment flew across the room and hit a wall, sliding to the bottom. She would pick it up in the morning. Right now she had too much on her mind to tidy up things.  
  
She grabbed her night gown and slid it over her head, then cleaned her teeth, still brooding.  
  
Finally she plopped down on her bed, mind whirling with activity. What would become of this? Inwardly she sighed and slipped under the blankets. Although it took her mind a while to calm, she finally slipped into slumber.  
  
/Everywhere around her, women were screaming. Heat glared and smoke stung her eyes as she tried to find the source of the screeching. Women. Tortallan women. Something looked familiar—she was in a place she had seen in a few text books in her page years...it appeared to be...the Goddess's Hold./  
  
/She recalled a bit of her page learning: The Goddess's Hold was a small fort-like temple near the Tyran border. It was in a beautiful valley hundreds of leagues away from the palace: a place where the Goddess was worshipped completely. Women lived by themselves in that valley where they made a life of their own, without men, and protected by the Goddess herself./  
  
/She turned a corner and came upon a horrid sight: About twenty women were surrounded by rough, evil-looking men. The males appeared to be Tyran—uneducated brutes. The women were most definitely Tortallan, and Daughters of the Goddess./  
  
/This was where the screaming had come from. Men beat the girls mercilessly, hands lashing out to strike their faces or bodies. Women cried out in pain. Everywhere girls were being raped and abused, struck and tormented. Some women fought back, but most just gave up, finding resistance useless./  
  
/Rage boiled in the pit of her stomach, complete and utter fury. How could those men do this? Most of the girls were around fifteen—how could this be happening?/  
  
Kel sat up with a start, breathing hard, hear still thumping quickly in her chest. That voice she had heard, that beautiful, painful, melodious, jarring, horrible, wonderful voice, spoke within her head: The Tyran raiders came and destroyed, their own Gods kept with them, not allowing me to interfere. My daughters are being hurt. You must stop them. You must stop this. That is your task.  
  
()()()()()()()()()()  
  
The man's figure was sprawled in his bed. Moonlight fell upon his face, and all seemed peaceful. But looks can be deceiving.  
  
/He was running, running to find something, he wasn't sure what, just something. His feet padded along the deserted corridor. Where was everyone?/  
  
/Smoke reached his nostrils, and his eyes watered. Where was he?/  
  
/He came upon a scene, a horrible scene. Women were huddled in a dark corner of a room, trying to keep close to each other for warmth. Eyes were red and swollen from weeping. Many were naked, bloody bodies trying to retain the warmth that was lost. Purple, black, and blue marks spread across faces, cuts adorning a few. What was worse was that all of them were hardly women—most were girls, fifteen, a few seventeen, even one who looked around the age of thirteen./  
  
/Outside the room he heard men joking with each other in Tyran, getting drunk and jesting about the girls they had raped./  
  
/He stiffened. How could anyone be this cruel? What was more was the fact that he had recognized the place he was now—the Goddess's Hold. All of those girls were worshippers of the Goddess. They must have all been virgins before this—and had they been deflowered by a man they loved? No. They had all been forced. Scarred for life./  
  
/Suddenly there was a flash. The cell with the girls was no longer the vision before his eyes. Now he could see a large room, full of Tyran raiders. Then she was there, the woman that had puzzled him so many times. Behind her were the unicorns. The immortals were everywhere, killing as their eyes turned scarlet and their teeth jagged./  
  
/He watched as she faced the man who appeared to be the leader of the men. She drew her sword and slashed at him. He parried the blow, and stabbed. The fight continued as battle raged around them. He saw the leader falter, and she disarmed him. She pressed her blade to his throat, but didn't see the Tyran pull a small dagger from his boot. The Tyran leader hurled the dagger, and it sunk into her chest. The man grinned evilly as he watched her fall to the ground. The dagger had been poisoned./  
  
/He reached out a hand and yelled with a voice full of anguish, "Kel!"/  
  
Dom sat up in his bed, cold sweat coursing down his face. Inside his mind echoed a female voice, a voice that sounded of discord and harmony, pain and comfort, war and peace. It gently inquired, Do you love her enough? This will happen if you do not help.  
  
The voice was gone, leaving only pain in Dom's mind. He held his head and thought rebelliously, I /don't/ care about her! Well, not like /that/... but the picture of her falling back, poisoned dagger through her heart, flashed before his eyes. He heard his own voice call her name, filled with pain.  
  
Dom's eyes shone over-bright in the moon-light that crept in the barracks window. What would he do? What would he do?  
  
()()()()()()()()()()  
  
The plot thickens...  
  
Okay...here's the deal—you review, and when I get to 85, I'll post the next chappie. Sounds okay, don't it?  
  
Fanta 


	9. Inwardly Kicking Yourself

Hello people. I have decided to be nice and post this chapter at 77 instead of 85. ::pats self on head:: yeah, I decided that if I'm nice, more people will read. Thank you so much to all of my reviewers!  
  
dreamerdoll: Just to reply to your question/threat, Dom loves her, he just doesn't realize it yet (males are /soooooo/ stupid). He is confused and in denial because he's never thought of her that way before: before she's only been a friend, a fellow fighter, a companion, and all of a sudden he has new feelings for her popping out all over the place...he doesn't understand (stupid git). I mean, he's had countless affairs with ladies of the court, but he's never really looked at fighting women before. Now he subconsciously loves one, and his world is flipped.  
  
Thanks to all!  
  
Disclaimer: Do I even /need/ to post one of these anymore??? I think I've proven the point quite well that I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING!!!!!!!  
  
With that said,  
  
Chapter Nine: Inwardly Kicking Yourself  
  
When Dom got up in the morning and dressed he was already unsettled by his dream. The suffering women, the cruel men, Kel. Kel...Kel...  
  
He hit his head against a wall. Why couldn't he get that name off his mind? He had dreamed about her before...not like that or with romantic reasons, merely because his mind was being weird. He certainly didn't repeat her name continually in his mind after the dream where she had dyed her hair teal and brought a two llamas into the mess hall.  
  
He hurried down to the mess. When he got there, he seated himself among his friends and tried to focus on his food. When Kel came in ten minutes after him and sat down beside him he blushed deeply and tried to look away.  
  
The image of her falling backwards, dagger through her heart, flashed before his eyes, and he tried to stare only at his food.  
  
His vision was covered again and he heard at the back of his mind himself desperately calling her name one last time. He scrunched his eyes together and tried to clean his mind of that dream.  
  
Inside his head he saw the blood dripping through her tunic, and saw his own arm stretched before him, reaching out to her...  
  
"Dom? Oh Doooo-ooom?" Dom looked up with a start. His friends were staring at him, some with worry written on their faces, some with expressions that clearly wondered if he had gone mad.  
  
"What?" his comrades continued to stare at him so he blushed deeply. "Sorry...my mind wandered..."  
  
"We couldn't tell," Neal commented dryly, sarcasm dripping from his voice.  
  
"I was just asking if you would like to see what happens with sword vs. glaive...err...if you're not feeling well, I'll ask someone else..." Kel told him uncertainly, concern still etched clearly on her face.  
  
She's worried about me, Dom realized, his stomach bubbling with excitement. He mentally kicked himself, Why does that matter? It's not like you /love/ her or anything.  
  
"Oh...umm...I'm feeling fine...sure...thanks for asking...I'll meet you in half-an- hour...bye." Dom stuttered, then picked up his tray and carried it to the dishwashers.  
  
His friends blinked in shock at his departure, then returned to their conversations.  
  
Kel found Dom on the practice courts. In her left hand she held her practice glaive—she didn't want to use her real one just in case a glaive- wielder had much more advantage than she thought. She didn't want to accidentally kill the man she loved. Inwardly she smacked her forehead. She /didn't/ love him! He was just a crush...how could he specifically be the "man she loved" if he didn't even know she lov—(she inwardly hit herself again) liked him?  
  
He was repeatedly hitting a dummy with his practice sword, and didn't see her walk in. She carefully went up behind him and tapped him on the shoulder.  
  
He jumped about a foot in the air and whirled around, raising his practice sword. Kel giggled. "It's just me, silly."  
  
He grinned at her ruefully and lowered his practice weapon. At that smile, her stomach did what felt like a weird version of ballet. She felt her face growing warmer and prayed that she wasn't blushing, even though she knew she was.  
  
She was wearing a pale green tunic. Dom realized that in his dream she had been wearing that exact same tunic, and his sight was blocked out as another vision flew through his head: a throwing dagger, in slow motion, tore through the fibers of the pale green fabric. He saw as each thread was frayed and popped, moving to the sides as the dagger plunged into her chest. Once more he heard his own frantic cry...  
  
He snapped out of it to see her cheeks were pinker than usual...had he been staring at her tunic for longer than he had thought? He glanced away quickly, his face turning a bright shade of red. "Umm...would you like to start practicing now?" he suggested, not able to look her in the eyes in his embarrassment. She nodded once and went into the "ready" stance with her glaive.  
  
Soon the two were sparring quickly, forgetting their blushes in the rush of adrenaline. Finally Kel held his blade off with hers and tripped him with her staff. He came down with a 'thump' and she pressed her weapon to his throat.  
  
She smiled happily at her success. As far as she could see, the weapons were pretty much equal in advantages, so she had won fairly.  
  
Although he was in an odd position, Dom felt his own belly flop around. She was smiling at him, and she had never looked more beautiful...  
  
He once more inwardly kicked himself. Since when was Kel beautiful?  
  
Since forever, the romantic part of his brain sighed.  
  
Once more he kicked himself in his mind and was about to argue back to himself when he realized that he was still on the ground with Kel's glaive resting on his neck.  
  
He grinned widely at her and announced, "I yield."  
  
She removed the weapon from his throat and held out a hand for him to grab. He did so, and she pulled him up off of the ground.  
  
His whole arm turned shivery at her touch. He was now standing next to her, he noticed, so he let go of her hand reluctantly.  
  
A piece of her shimmering brown hair fell into her eyes, and he unconsciously reached past the distance between them to brush it away. Her beautiful hazel eyes widened. She was positively gorgeous, he realized. This time he didn't even argue with himself—it was a fact that was unquestionable.  
  
As he pushed the strand of hair away, he felt her warm skin and without thought took a step closer. She gazed up into his eyes, and he lowered his lips the last inch to meet hers.  
  
Hehe...I'm so evil...this /has/ to be the worst cliffie I've ever written...  
  
Guess what? Cliffies can be used for motivational purposes—as in, you don't know what happens until you all review like good little people...that means 90 reviews! ::evil cackle:: yes, I know, I am /so/ cruel!  
  
Fanta 


	10. Melting

Because I know you are all desperate to get to the story (after that cliffie...hehe...), I will make these comments as short as possible.  
  
p.s. you see, I'm ending them so soon  
  
p.p.s. so very, very soon  
  
p.p.p.s. did I mention how soon I would leave you alone so you could read this story?  
  
p.p.p.p.s. see...I'm done!  
  
p.p.p.p.p.s. really!  
  
p.p.p.p.p.p.s. okay then...  
  
p.p.p.p.p.p.p.s. here we go...  
  
p.p.p.p.p.p.p.p.s. bye!  
  
p.p.p.p.p.p.p.p.p.s. see you!  
  
p.p..p.p.p.p.p.p.p.p.s. I'm gone!  
  
()()()()()()()()()()  
  
Chapter Ten: Melting  
  
She felt his lips meet hers softly.  
  
She was shocked. She was so shocked that she punched him.  
  
::evil cackle:: okay...sorry...I couldn't resist. That's not it. I just wish I could have seen the look on your faces...I promise, that was just a really evil little thought that came into my twisted little brain when I read your reviews. Do you have any idea how many people wrote: They'd better kiss in the next chapter or I'll kill you? So...anyhoo...this is the real chapter (REAL CHAPTER!!! REALLY REAL CHAPTER!!! REALLY REALLY REAL CHAPTER!!! REALLY REALLY REALLY—okay, I'll stop now...but the REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY REAL CHAPTER IS / THERE!!!):  
  
Chapter Ten: Melting  
  
She felt his lips meet hers softly.  
  
Her brain started to deteriorate rapidly. A roaring sounded in her ears as their mouths touched. Heat rushed through her lips and made her entire body feel like it was melting...melting...melting...  
  
Her whole body was filling with warmth, her knees were watery, and her pulse sped up. She couldn't think of anything except his lips softly placed against hers. Whenever she tried to even start a simple train of thought, is was blown away by the rush of sweetness from his lips. And she was floating, drifting...this /had/ to be a dream. But it didn't matter what it was, she was melting...melting...melting...  
  
His arms crept around her waist. He gently pulled her closer to his body. She was crushed against him, their lips still together. She felt his hands on her back and slowly placed her own arms around his neck.  
  
Their kiss became steadily more passionate until the pounding in her ears was deafening. She could only feel him, only think of him, only love him...and she could feel herself melting...melting...melting...  
  
She wished the feeling would go on forever... after too little time, he pulled his mouth off of hers. Both of them were panting from lack of air. When Kel regained her breath she opened her mouth to say something, but no words came out. Her entire mind had fled at that kiss. She moved her mouth, trying to think of something to say, but could only blush and look down.  
  
A warm finger was placed on her chin, and she was forced to look up. He looked to be in the same state as her, not able to speak at all, but that didn't matter. His eyes told her everything she needed to know: their blue depths were filled with love, passion, and desire.  
  
He once more lowered his lips to hers. This time the kiss didn't start out soft, it was passionate from the beginning, each had their lips crushed against the others'. The heat of desire nearly made Kel faint. His tongue touched her lips, and she opened her mouth to let him in. Her own tongue met his, and then explored his mouth, taking the kiss to a new level. She was once more melting...melting...melting...  
  
()()()()()()()()()()  
  
There we go! How was my chapter of 100% fluffy, fluffish, fluffiful fluff? I liked writing it...hehe... How does 'next chapter at 100 reviews' sound? I promise...from now on there will still be fluff, but I shall get back to the actual plot...you know, about the unicorns and stuff...  
  
I know that fake beginning was evil...will you please forgive me? Please? ::puppy-dog eyes::  
  
Do you think I could get to 100 reviews off of this chapter? ::jumps up and down:: 100 reviews on my first fanfic!!! Who would have dreamed???  
  
Fanta 


	11. News

OMIGODOMIGODOMIGODOMIGODOMIGODOMIGODOMIGODOMIGODOMIGODOMIGODOMIGODOMIGODOMIGODOMIGODOMIGODOMIGODOMIGODOMIGODOMIGODOMIGODOMIGODOMIODOMIGODOMIGODOMIGODOMIGODOMIGODOMIGODOMIGODOMIGODOMIGODOMIGODOMIGODOMIGODOMIGODOMIGODOMIGODOMIGODOMIGODOMIGODOMIGODOMIGODOMIGODOMIGODOMIGODOMIGODOMIGODOMIGODOMIGODOMIGODOMIGODOMIGODOMIGODOMIGODOMIGODOMIGODOMIGODOMIGODOMIGODOMIGOD!!!!!!!!!!!! I HAVE 100 REVIEWS ON MY VERY FIRST FANFIC!!! I HAVE 100 WHOLE REVIEWS ON MY FIRST FANFIC AND NO FLAMES, ONLY COMPLIMENTS AND CC!!!! OMIGODOMIGODOMIGODOMIGOD— ::stops talking:: ::eyes go all fan-girl-ish:: "omigodomigod" has "dom" in it ::eyes glaze over dreamily:: ::sighs wistfully::

::weeps hysterically:: You guys make me so happy! Thank you! Thank you! ::wails:: ::sobs:: Thank you SO much! ::sniffle::

Oh—and thanks to everyone who complimented my fluff-skills. This is my first time writing fluff, so I'm glad It's successful! ::is overwhelmed with happiness:: ::reads awesome reviews again and faints::

Ummm...I'm sorry it took so long to post this chapter...I was grounded for a week, and then was down for a few days...sorry...I hope this chappie makes it up to you.

For Tortall and the Queen's Riders!

=============

Chapter Eleven: News

Dom had expected her to push away from the start, maybe even to blacken one of his eyes or bloody his nose—but she didn't. He felt her passion and the back part of his brain that was still able to think was surprised. Why would Keladry of Mindelan not mind kissing him? Or...maybe even /want/ to kiss him...no...that was impossible...

Finally he pulled away from her. He couldn't talk...he just made a small croaking noise and let go of her, backing away from her and trying to say something.

Finally he managed the words, "I-I-Ihavetogo..." then he turned from her and ran all the way to his rooms, leaving Kel standing in the middle of the practice courts, wondering what just happened and staring at the place where he had exited.

=============

Neither Kel nor Dom showed up to lunch, not wanting to see the other. Of course, with Neal around, nothing went unnoticed...

Kel was almost through with her twentieth practice dance when there was a banging on the door. Must be Neal, she thought, I refuse to answer it.

The thundering on the door continued and Kel continued her practice dance, repeating in her head, Will not open, will not open, will not open, will not open...

There was a green flash and the door swung open. Kel looked up at the ceiling and mouthed "Why me?" several times. /Of course/ her best friend just /had/ to be a mage.

Neal strutted over to Kel, closing the door behind him, and slowly asked, "What's going on, Lady Knight? Is there any reason why neither you /nor/ my dear cousin showed up to lunch?"

Kel flushed and lowered her gaze to her feet, mumbling quietly, "No...I-I just got caught up in practicing and forgot the time..." she trailed off and tried to clear the red stain off of her cheeks, fighting to keep her face blank and relatively innocent.

"Ha!" Neal exclaimed, pointing at her with an accusing finger, "you're the worst liar I've ever met! Tell the truth , dear Protector, why weren't you at lunch?"

She stuttered for a few moments, trying to think of something to say.

Neal smirked smugly. He was pretty sure he knew what had happened, but he would make her say it herself. Besides, watching her struggle to put on her mask was entertaining.

Seeing Neal's knowing grin, she finally just bursted out, "We kissed, all right? That's all! Now leave me alone!"

The door swung open once again to reveal bad news. All of Kel's friends (except Dom) were at the door. They had all obviously been eavesdropping, and all had cheeky grins on their faces. Merric flipped Neal a coin and announced, "You win, mate."

Kel turned white with fury—THEY HAD BETTED ON HER!!! She contained her rage just barely, still shaking, and pointed to the door, growling, "You'll pay for this on the practice courts, Queenscove!"

This was her friends' signal to run, and they did, closing the door behind them.

Kel sighed in exasperation and threw herself down on her bed. Could this day seriously get any worse?

=============

Both Kel and Dom showed up to dinner. Apparently Dom had gotten the same interrogation as her, and both of them were teased shamelessly by their friends.

Halfway through the meal, a panting messenger ran into the room, covered in dust. He unrolled a piece of parchment and gasped, "I have brought news from the Tyran border. Raiders have overthrown the Goddess's Hold," with that the messenger crumpled by the door frame, still wheezing.

Both Dom and Kel stood up, turning white.

Apparently this day /could/ get worse, because it just officially did.

=============

Dun dun dunnnnn...

Thank you SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO much to all of my lovely reviewers! I'll continue writing if you continue reviewing! I'll post the next chapter at...say...117 reviews! Thank you all!

Fanta


	12. Sweet Dreams

Hello people!!! I'm baaaaa-aaack!!! Okey day day, then! I feel special! twelve whole chapters! YAY!!!

Reviewers: I LOVE YOU ALL!!! THANK YOU SO, SO, SO, SO, SO, SO, SO, SO, SOOOOOOOOO MUCH!!!

For those who reviewed chappie eleven (I'm sorry I haven't done this for several chapters):

rootless californian: thank you! You make me feel so special...::grins like an idiot:: you have not the slightest clue how much I love it when people comment on how they like the in-character-ness of the characters in my fics! Thank you!!!!!!!!!

Lady Knight Wolfy: ::huggles hysterically:: thank you my loyal reviewer! Thank you so much! ::cries with happiness:: you've reviewed me for practically every chappie!

Romininon: Thank you a ton! You have no idea how good that makes me feel!

KeLFaN: Thank you thank you thank you!!! Reviews like yours mean SO much to me...I appreciate you reviewing so much...thank you.

Wake-Robin: Hmmm...I wonder...(just kidding, lol...I know what happens but you'll just have to wait and see, won't you?) thank you!

Luna y sol: THANK YOU!!! Hmmm...yeah...poor Kel and Dom...lol...sometimes I seriously pity my own characters in fanfiction...

Erkith: Thankies...I know...that's why I couldn't resist putting the betting thing in there ::rolls eyes with Erkith::

dreamerdoll: ::sniffle:: I-I'm evil? ::sobs hysterically:: ::reads post again:: Okay...fine...I'll write more fluff...::sob::

The Summer Stars: Okay, please let me inform you that of every single review I've read, yours is the most motivating. I practically ::sniffle:: cried with happiness when I read it...thank you times infinity.

dragon shadows: Thanks...errr...what's "mugly"?

PsychoLioness13: Hehe...I love cliffies...NO!!! Don't die on me! I'll write more chapters just DON'T DIE!!! ::sobs:: okay, fine...I'll stop being dramatic now...

Lil' Dixie: Thank you so much! You have no idea how much saying that means to me.

Lady Angelique of mystiqu: Thank you! I luv you guys!!!

And if she's reading this, Chapter Twelve is dedicated to SecondHandy (SecondHand Lioness), my twin from the 'Dove! Luv ya, sissy!

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()

Chapter Twelve: Sweet Dreams

Kel and Dom, both standing, whispered under their breaths "I thought it was only a dream..."

Their friends exchanged slighty freaked-out looks...what was going on?

The voice was in the entire hall echoed with the voice of the Goddess this time, it wasn't just in the two's heads, most of the occupants clapped hands over their ears, faces distorted with pain: "I sent you the dreams for a reason: you two are my chosen—for a reason. Travel to my Hold and save my daughters...it is the only way..." the voice trailed away, leaving the hall completely silent.

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()

Kel and Dom had explained their dreams to Raoul, and now Kel was in her room. Her life had hit a serious inclination in happiness—she was planning to go back to New Hope (which was thriving) in a few days, but it seemed like she wasn't going to get the chance. She had to go on this quest...

She grumbled at herself. She should have been happy that she was chosen by the Goddess. Just because she was only chosen by the Goddess to go on a venture that was horribly dangerous, practically suicide...grrr...she was starting to complain again.../she/ did not complain! /Neal/ complained! What was with her?

She trudged over to Jump's food dish and filled it with rice and ham scraps that she had gotten from the kitchen. Jump scampered over and began to wolf down the food happily as Kel filled the sparrows' food dishes with bread crumbs and seeds.

She was tempted to get her glaive and take her stress out on the practice courts, but someone might talk to her there—or, in other words, she still wanted to avoid her friends' teasing about her and Dom at all costs.

Suddenly a sharp knocking sounded on her door. Kel sighed. That was most likely Neal—joy.

The knocking continued, so Kel gave up and called reluctantly, "Come in! The door is unlocked!" The knocking stopped and the door slowly swung open to reveal Dom, looking rather sheepish. Kel blushed and looked away, trying to regain her blank expression and failing miserably. She really had been away from the Islands too long.

Dom walked into the room and closed the door. His silence made her twice as nervous, and she fiddled with one of the seed dishes. Dom finally stated firmly, "I'm coming with you on the quest, you know. Whether you like it or not, I'm going with you." She still wasn't looking at him, but she heard rather than saw him stride closer to her.

She felt a warm finger on her chin and turned her head slightly. Once more his lips were on hers and it was the most wonderful feeling in the world. Once more she draped her arms around his neck as he held her waist, pulling her close to his chest. Once more she felt like she'd rather suffocate than take her lips from his. Once more she had the melting sensation...

He slowly pulled away from her so they could breath, He came closer so his face was only an inch from hers. She felt his soft breath tickle her cheeks as he looked into her eyes, his dark hair brushing her forehead. "Sweet dreams, Kel. I'll see you in the morning."

He leaned to peck her one last time, then left the room with a last charming, heart-melting grin at her, his bright blue eyes dancing. He closed the door behind him and was gone.

It took Kel a few seconds to recollect her wits. Her heart slowly regained its normal speed and her melting senses finally solidified.

She slowly slipped her nightgown over her head and trod over to her bed to slip under the covers. Her mood had lifted considerably in the past ten minutes.

She smiled and snuggled deeper into her blankets. Remembering his lips on hers she closed her eyes to savor the feeling. Sweet dreams...considering a few occurrences that had happened that day, she couldn't think of any other way her dreams could be.

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()

Ta daaaa! There's chappie number twelve...::rereads work:: sounds kindof like trying to fill empty space...but ohhhh wellll! Fluff is my friend!

Umm...I guess I'll post the next chappie at...err...122 reviews, Kapish? Okey day then...

Fanta


	13. The Amulet

Hey guys! Sorry it took me so long to update...I started school (bleah! ), and then I had a LOT of writer's block (double BLEAH! ), then I had too much homework (BLEAH BLEAH BLEAH BLEAH BLEAH BLEAH!!!!)

Umm...could you people please read my other fic that I wrote in my writer's block? It's called Cider of Treachery—it's KEL/DOM!!! Yay!!!

Okay...anyhoo...here's the next chappie!

p.s. the plot gets really lame...just to warn you...

And...ACTION!!!

Chapter Thirteen: The Amulet

Kel's dreams were very peaceful that night until around one. She had dreamed repeatedly of Dom's lips touching hers, arms protectively around her until her sweet visions had been once more interrupted...

/She was suddenly watching herself arguing with Dom. They were both on their horses, trotting lightly down a narrow path in the middle of a forest. As she approached her double and sweetheart, she heard some of the conversation taking place:

"Dom, you really shouldn't of come...I mean, you have a place with the Own, and you need to be there if—"

Dom covered her lips with his right hand and gave her one of his heart-melting grins. Her eyes acquired a dreamy look to them because of that smile and she was quiet for a few minutes, daydreaming.

She watched as her double finally seemed to remember her argument and announced, "But...Lord Raoul needs you to command your squad—"

The contact between both of their lips stayed for several minutes until Kel started to fear for her double, expecting herself to turn blue from lack of oxygen. The horses had stopped and Peachblossom stamped one of his large hooves irritably, snorting his annoyance.

After about ten minutes of cuddling, the unicorns, who had been slinking through the shadows of the foliage like wraiths, broke cover and ran to surround Kel and Dom.

Centaurs, everywhere, malicious grins on their faces, weapons drawn. There had to be about sixty of them. The unicorns were ready to charge into the fray, whinnying war cries, but Kel stopped them and raised something from around her neck. It was something shiny and golden, but the real Kel couldn't make out the details from the distance. Suddenly the charm from around her double was swirled within lavender and moss mist which swirled to consume the centaurs. The centaurs were all frozen now, not a single one moved. Kel glanced at Dom, and, seeing he was looking rather startled, gave him a reassuring grin.

The dream Kel kicked Peachblossom into a trot. He continued forward until he was right in front of the centaurs, but when he tried to stop, she continued to urge him on. He snorted with resign and walked...straight through the wall of enemy immortals. Dom, bewildered, followed.

Peachblossom, relieved, turned to snap at the haunches of a passing unicorn as it slipped back into the shadows.

She watched as dream Kel slipped the amulet back into the front of her tunic and grinned at Dom, reassuring, "I know the unicorns could have fought him, but I would rather not waste the time and energy."

Dom simply nodded and went back to trying to keep her from trying to convince him to go back./

Kel sat up. This time she was not panting, for this had not been a frightening dream...just an interesting one. She rubbed the back of her neck, thinking about it when she felt an unusual weight around her neck.

She looked down to find a golden chain with some sort of charm attacked to it. Kel, puzzled, clutched the charm and brought it closer to her face to examine in the dark.

It was a golden unicorn, completely and totally detailed. She practically expected the metal immortal to break free of the chain and canter away.

As she moved it back and forth to see it better at different angles, the unicorn's pale purple eye flashed a startling crimson. For a second the pale gold unicorn seemed to become shaggier and more vicious-looking. The teeth jagged and sharp...but them Kel blinked and the sensation was gone.

At the back of her head she heard the voice: Just in case.

So, yeah...I beg forgiveness for making you wait so long! I'm sorry! SO SORRY!!! ::sobs hysterically:: Please review...please?

Fanta


	14. The Weight of Trust

::moans:: so sorry everyone...Gods curse me, I am /such/ a procastinator!!! ::smacks self repeatedly with yardstick:: ::sighs:: I'm gonna finish this fic though, I can promise you that!

Thank you SOOOOOOOOOOOOO much to everyone who reviewed! You guys make my day, every single one of you!!!

Chapter Fourteen: The Weight of Trust

Kel couldn't sleep. Every time she tried it seemed that the amulet's eyes glinted red, and its pelt grew long and shaggy, but when she blinked, the phenomenon vanished, leaving her with only the perfect miniature unicorn on its thin little chain, glinting golden in the light of the full moon which shone through her window.

So for all the hours after her dream, she sat awake and aware of every snap in the brush outside her window, of Jump whimpering in what she assumed to be a nightmare, and when one of the sparrows awoke to get a midnight snack from one of the seed-filled bowls.

Kel had to admit, even for her, it was rather nerve-wracking.

Dawn came. Rubbing blurry eyes, Kel stretched her limbs and yawned largely. She felt old from only getting about four hours of not-so-peaceful sleep.

Jump lifted his head and banged his tail lazily on the floor as she passed, bidding her a good morning. She smiled at him and patted his head before readying herself for the day and going through one of her practice dances.

After that she journeyed down to the stables. She wanted to visit with Peachblossom, and to make sure he was fine.

She stepped into the stables quietly, careful not to disturb any of the still-sleeping horses. Suddenly a shiver ran down her spine. Things were quiet. Eerily quiet. Nothing stirred. She moved her gaze from a fat, happy, peacefully sleeping gray pony to see what was before her and gasped.

All of the unicorns were lined up and staring at her with their moss and amethyst-colored eyes. What was more, their eyes were /glowing/. A sudden heat seemed to be resting upon her chest, one that made her eyes water. She tore her eyes from the unicorns to search for the source only to find the Goddess's amulet giving off a bright light and scalding heat, its eyes flashing rapidly from red purple, sending waves of eerie cold and heat throughout the entire stables. Kel didn't need to ask any one to know it was magic. The unicorns were at her side, still in their trance...

But then it was gone and Kel nearly collapsed from shock. What had happened? What was going to happen?

All of the unicorns were still staring intently at the pale gold little unicorn dangling on her chest.

She was suddenly looking into the dusty lavender eyes of Nalinimar. In them she found wisdom, hope, and loyalty, but above all she saw trust. The amulet suddenly felt heavier, as if the unicorns' trust had weighted it down.

Pah! That was so short!!! ::is disgusted with self:: oh well...I'll update very soon, just as soon as at least five people answer this question:

Do you want more chappies or longer chappies?

If you want me to write more chappies there will probably be about six or seven more chappies along with an epilogue.

If you want me to write longer chappies, there will probably be about three more chappies and an epilogue.

I'll update soon...

Fanta


	15. Mud

Hello peoples. Hmmm...none of my reviews were very helpful in the area of "should I write longer or more chapters?" so I just decided to do more chapters. I just was giving you guys the choice because a few of my lovely reviewers have constantly been bemoaning the fact that I write short chappies...not that I luv any of you guys less for that...lol

Anyhoo, thanks so much to EVERYONE!!!!! I know my story is annoying, and I know my latest chapters have been really crappy, but that doesn't matter...I hope...

Okey-doodle, then...let's get this show on the road!

Chapter Fifteen: Mud

They were on the road. It had taken Kel only a few hours after the unicorn incident to get herself and Dom on the road.

For the past hour she had (as the dream had parcially predicted) been trying to convince Dom to go back—with no success whatsoever. For the most part he ignored her, but when she actually made a good point, he shut her up like only he could.

This was one such instance.

"Dom, you have to go back...please?" she pleaded fruitlessly, gazing pitifully at the side of his head with puppy-dog eyes.

He didn't even glance at her and murmered, "Hmmm..." an obvious sign he wasn't listening.

She pouted moodily at the back of Peachblossom's mane. The first time she had actually pleaded with someone in years (usually she thought it was below her for people could so often be moved with simple reason) and he was ignoring her.

Apparently sensing that she was going to explode some time in the not-so-distant future, Dom kicked his blue-gray gelding a little ahead of her. She intensified her glare at the back of his head, inwardly seething.

Once more she trotted Peachblossom along-side him and started to speak, "I can do this by myself, the Crown needs you back home..."

Dom muttered sleepily, "You don't say."

Kel's eyes narrowed and she continued in the same tone, "Your horse has turned purple."

He nodded and sighed heavily as he had been for the past hour, mumbling something that probably resembled "You don't say" in some discreet fashion.

If Kel had been in the mood, she probably would have realized how humorous the situation was, but at that moment she was about ready to breathe fire.

"Oh Dom, I'm going to dye your hair hot pink, feed you saddle leather, tie you to a boulder, and sink you naked to the bottom of the next lake we come to."

Dom, who was now tracing little swirly patterns on his saddle with a finger and staring off into space, mumbled, "That's nice."

With that, the knight pulled her glaive out from its sheath-like constraint she used while riding and knocked the sergeant off his horse with the iron-shod butt of it. The unfortunate young man tumbled gracelessly into a mud puddle and sprawled their in a filthy heap, rubbing his head and staring at Kel in a dazed manner.

She let out a mirthless laugh and barked out in triumph, "Now that I see I have your attention, would you please consider going back to the palace?"

Dom's only reply was to moan and fall back in the mud. Kel blinked in concern. Had she hurt him? What if the fall had injured him badly? Oh, if only she would have thought before she acted!

Alarmed, Kel jumped off her roan (who snorted at her, wishing the unicorns weren't romping in the forest by the side of the trail, so he could kick them) and rushed to Dom's side. "Dom...are you all right?" she asked, voice full of worry. When he only shifted slightly and moaned again, she started to panic, and lowered an arm to him, hoping we would be able to grab it so she could pull him to his feet. "Oh Dom, I'm so sorr—"

She didn't get to finish because Dom, "recovering" quickly, darted out an arm, grabbed hers, and tugged her on top of him.

Realizing Dom's trickery, Kel began to splutter something indignantly when Dom stopped her, his lips over hers.

At first Kel struggled, still furious at him for his treachery, but eventually her anger was quenched and all she could do was relax in his arms as the kiss went on.

With a burst of speed, Dom flipped Kel over so she was lying in the mud, and pinned her down with his body, laying on top of her. Although she was strong enough to shove him off of her, he had the element of surprise, and she was temporarily breathless. Dom propped up his elbows on either side of her head and rested his chin on both his hands.

Grinning devilishly, he nuzzled her forehead and whispered huskily, "No, I think I'll stay with you, thanks.

Peachblossom, who was getting more and more irritated by the second, finally decided to break up this beautiful picture with a few well-placed kicks which sent Dom sprawling once more.

With a laugh, Kel stood up and glanced at the hapless Dom. As he struggled to get up, Kel grinned in a sickly-sweet manner and shoved him back in the mud before jumping onto Peachblossom and cantering ahead, leaving Dom once-more dazed, sitting in a pile of muck.

Hmmm...more fluff...yay! go me! I guess that chapter was slightly pointless, so before you murder me in my sleep in a way involving lots and lots of paperclips, let me assure you that I'll get back to the plot soon...next chapter most likely...

Toodles!

—Fanta


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